On Motherhood

Whoever said motherhood is easy is either lying or had others raise her kids for her. After only a few years into this 'job', I find that no amount of 'preparation' ever really gets you ready for your 'role'. By preparation, I don't just mean the insights I get from the books I  read and the seminars I have attended. Although I must say that a course on motherhood would come in handy but as all mothers will agree, you sort of wing things as you go and do things by trial and error. It doesn't help that all kids, even twins who share a womb, are different, making it hard to create a curriculum.

I suppose I am talking about the kind that I saw as modelled by my own mama. And on that note, can I just pause and brag about her for a bit? I have to say she is one tough cookie, having given birth to six kids, losing her firstborn after a few days due to sickness, and then two years later giving birth to me and four others while holding a full time job as a school teacher in a local public school. Sure she had people around her helping her out but to juggle raising a family and keeping a job, let alone doing it full time, seems unthinkable to me. And then add to that raising me, being the stubborn child that I was, giving her enough challenges probably from the time I started talking. I thank God for her patience, wisdom and humility. She did the best she can. Not even her humble origins can stop her from getting educated, and making sure, along with Papa, that we all get our degrees so all five of our diplomas get prominently

our youngest sister has yet to request for her diploma from school

displayed on the "wall of  fame" at  home. While she feels that us getting educated is her biggest legacy, I feel that it was her getting up early to pray, and teaching us about God that helped me make the right choices in life. I feel that the things she showed us and taught us about God made it so easy for me to have a relationship with Jesus.




My mother in law is another worthy example. While I have yet to meet her in person, her warmth,  compassion and genuine love breaks all barriers including distance. I loved how she encouraged and prayed for me, along with the rest of the family, when I was back home waiting for my visa grant. One can't ask for a better one and I am blessed . I can't wait to see her and everyone in the family and I look forward to the seafoods feast she promised when we visit.



I think about mentors, friends and family who  provided me with Godly example of motherhood and living life in general. From those who discipled me, believed in me before I even believed in myself, and trusted me. When I stop to think about how much they have helped me become a better person, challenging me to grow and mature in my relationship with Jesus so I can help others the way they have - it makes me thank God for the company of women (and men) that He has placed around me and the awesome privilege of being able to travel with them in this journey called life.

I feel that motherhood can be a really tough gig, especially if one is on their own. But if the saying that it takes a village to raise a child is true, then we are not really meant to raise our children by ourselves to begin with.   Having all our biological families on the other side of the world makes things even harder.But we thank God for our church family - we don't feel alone and we don't feel like we have to figure things out by ourselves or get things together, we are allowed to be ourselves, we can ask for help and it was never taken against us. All the encouragement and prayers we get showered is just amazing. We have also made friends, who have become our families by choice

On a personal note, for mother's day this year, I thought I'd save my husband the trouble of  figuring out what to get me  by telling him exactly what I wanted. I even volunteered to pick it up myself to make sure there are no mix ups. At our little mister's preschool, they organized a mother's day  afternoon tea with a fun activity for mum and kids. I was so pleased when I got there with the little miss to find him finish the sandwiches I made him for lunch for the first time since early this year. As we worked on the mother's day card, he wouldn't let me touch it, except for some help from his sister. While he took the activity seriously, he also got distracted a few times with all the toys and other kids to play with. I feel like after nearly two hours, it was the little miss who had fun the most. She was able to play all she liked without me rushing her like I always do everytime we drop her brother off.

The shifts  life make as we enter into the season of motherhood! As the more seasoned mums will tell you, while changes take place as the children grow older, it never really ends. It is always tempting to focus  them and make them the centre of our universe! But if we are wise, we will look up to a POWER bigger than ourselves, even bigger than our families and friends.

Happy mother's day to you - whether  you are a mother celebrating for the first time,  desperately praying to be a mother, one that have lost their mothers, mothers who have lost a baby (or two) or are assuming the role of mothers in others' lives. Thank you for all the hard work you do. I hope Psalms 121 of The Message version will bless you -

^1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

^3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

^5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

^7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.